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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23057098">Louder than Sirens</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtypicalCat/pseuds/AtypicalCat'>AtypicalCat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The L Word: Generation Q (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:53:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,449</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23057098</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtypicalCat/pseuds/AtypicalCat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>1x07 Whiskey scene. - What really should have happened.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dani Núñez/Bette Porter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Louder than Sirens</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I advise you to the song as you're reading this.</p><p>Florence + The Machines - Drumming Song</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Episode 7 – Whiskey Scene</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Dani’s phone has been buzzing since she left the hospital. She has been speeding the whole way. She didn’t need to look at it to know what her messages were about. She fucking told Bette that this was gonna happen. She warned her, but what did Bette do? Ignore her. Dani shook her head as she parked outside of Bette’s home.</p><p>She hadn’t told her she was on her way, she didn’t need to. When Bette opened the door, she wasn’t the least surprised to see Dani.</p><p>“I fucking told you that this was gonna happen.” Bette moved out of the way.</p><p>“This son of a bitch is such a fucking liar-“</p><p>“Keep your voice down.” Bette warned her. She reached for Dani’s shoulder and led her to the living room area.</p><p>Dani paced around the couch, thinking about what to do. Bette looked up at her with those dark and pure eyes and as if Dani felt her concern she sat down next to her, leaving some space between them.</p><p>“He’s a mother-fucker.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“I told you that he was gonna do this-“Dani looked intently at Bette.</p><p>“I know.” Bette nods.</p><p>“I can try to get it off the air but it’s-“</p><p>“It’s too late.” Bette stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. Dani looked confused.</p><p>“So what? We just do nothing? We can’t just let him attack you like this.”</p><p>Bette turned around and looked at Dani, her tone firm.</p><p>“I told you, I have morals. I have standards.”</p><p>“Yeah, but this is…”</p><p>“And if you think I’m gonna let this homophobic asshole take me down with this bullshit, you really don’t know me at all.”</p><p>Dani and Bette shared a look and as if they both came into the conclusion that they weren’t going to be reactive to this add. Dani felt inspired again – seeing Bette be this confident and determined to not let this negative add affect her, made her smile for the first time that evening.</p><p>Bette sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment before she looked back at Dani.</p><p>“Would you like a whiskey?”</p><p>A pause.</p><p>“Yes.” Dani nodded, visibly more relaxed.</p><p>Bette raised her eyebrows at her guest as she turned around, heading to the whiskey cabinet.</p><p>Dani followed Bette with her eyes and as if something clicked inside of her she added.</p><p>“Please.”</p><p>Was this what Peirce had referred to? Was she drawn to Bette more than she thought?</p><p>When Bette turned around she was holding two glasses of whiskey. Dani was still in thought.</p><p>Bette sat down next to Dani and handed her the glass of whiskey. Dani’s mood changed. Bette raised her glass and looked at Dani intently. It took Dani a split second to catch up as she finally raised her glass to click with Bette’s.</p><p>The moment their eyes met, Dani felt as if Bette was looking into her soul. She couldn’t remember a time where the older woman had looked at her like that. Dani couldn’t hold back the growing smirk. Bette was the first one to break the eye contact with all knowing smirk.</p><p>They both take a sip and Dani licked her lips as she looked away.</p><p>Dani looked back at Bette who was staring into space in thought.</p><p>“I don’t know how you do it.” Dani shook her head a little as she looked back at Bette.</p><p>A pause.</p><p>“Do what?” Bette bat her eyelashes as she looked at Dani.</p><p>“This. Like, if this happened to me I’d be fuming and buying gasoline to burn this guy’s house down.”</p><p>Bette laughed.</p><p>“You’d do far less jail time if you make it look like an accident.” Dani laughed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>There's a drumming noise inside my head</em>
  </strong>
  <strong>
    <em><br/>
That starts when you're around</em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Both women felt the air shift. Maybe it was the whiskey, maybe it was something else. Dani remembered the first time her and Bette met – the time Bette asked her how she slept at night. She smiled thinking about the time she walked into Bette’s office and told her she needed her to win. She thought about the time she had to cover Bette’s affair. As much as Dani tried to think of Bette in an innocent way, Pierce’s words kept playing in her head.</p><p>‘This is something else for you.’</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>I swear that you should hear it<br/>
It makes such an all mighty sound</em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Dani’s eyes darted to Bette’s lips. It took the older woman a moment to realize Dani was staring at her. Bette licked her lips as she followed Dani’s gaze and took a deep breath.</p><p>“Would you like another?” Dani snapped out of her trance and swallowed hard. She glanced down her empty glass and smiled at Bette.</p><p>“Yes. Please.” Dani blushed.</p><p>Bette’s eyes lingered over Dani’s lips, their fingers touched as Bette took her glass and made her way to the whiskey cabinet again.</p><p>Dani felt her heart beating louder and louder with every second. When she saw Bette walking back to her there was something else in her eyes – something more than admiration. Bette handed Dani the glass of whiskey and sat down next to her again.</p><p>Bette tried to hide her smirk, but she was fully aware that Dani’s eyes were on her. Bette downed her whiskey quicker than Dani. They sat in silence and it almost seemed enough, until the tension heated up.</p><p>“Is there something on my lips?”</p><p>Dani licked her dry lips from the whiskey at that and instantly looked away.</p><p>“What? No.” Dani laughed nervously and looked elsewhere, tapping her fingernails on the glass she was gripping.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Louder than sirens<br/>
Louder than bells</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Sweeter than heaven<br/>
And hotter than hell</em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Dani's heart skipped a beat when she felt Bette’s fingers on hers. She looked up at Bette who was taking her glass of whiskey from her hand. Dani felt the electricity form Bette’s touch and she knew then that this was more than she had let on.</p><p>Dani’s phone buzzed and flashed, breaking the moment between them.</p><p>Dani read the text and sighed. She had a fiancé to be thinking about, not Bette. She quickly replied and cleared her throat.</p><p>“I’m gonna… go.” She stood up and looked at Bette who instantly got up.</p><p>“Yeah. Sure.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>I ran to a tower where the church bells chime</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>I hoped that they would clear my mind</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p><p>Dani wasn’t wearing heels, neither was Bette. The woman was taller than her and that made Dani feel a little intimated and warm.</p><p>Bette walked Dani to the front door. Dani could feel the older woman’s eyes on her. Was she worried about her or could she feel what Dani felt?</p><p>Dani almost didn’t want to turn around to face her, but Bette’s hand made her. Dani’s eyes fell to Bette’s hand on her wrist.</p><p>“Thank you. For checking up on me.” Bette said lowly, almost whispery like.</p><p>Dani had never heard her voice so low. It made her tilt her head and relax as she normally did around her. She didn’t realize she was now holding Bette’s hand until she was squeezing it.</p><p>“It’s my job. I’m here for you.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>But that drum's still beating loud and clear </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Louder than sirens</em>
  </strong>
  <strong>
    <em><br/>
Louder than bells</em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Bette’s eyes fell to Dani’s lips as Dani licked her lips. Dani struggled to breathe for a long moment. She followed Bette’s lips that were closing the distance between them.</p><p>Dani’s eyes gradually closed and her hand barely had any strength left to hold Bette’s. She felt like this had been the longest wait in her life to feel Bette’s lips on hers. Dani realized that she had been wanting this since the first time she saw her.</p><p>Dani signed the moment she felt Bette’s lips on hers. She rested her hand on Bette’s collarbone as she melted against the kiss. Dani was a good kisser, but Bette made her feel like she was an amateur. The way she sucked on her tongue and pulled on her bottom lip made Dani’s stomach flip. Dani felt Bette pull away and leaned in to kiss her again.</p><p>“Bette.” She half-moaned and half gasped. She was holding onto Bette’s top and she didn’t want to let go. She couldn’t let go.</p><p>Dani felt the lack of lips against hers and opened her eyes.</p><p>“You should go home.” Bette’s voice was so low, Dani wondered if this is what she sounded like in bed.</p><p>“Dani.” Bette repeated weakly.</p><p>Dani nodded. She avoided looking up at Bette and left the woman’s house. The next couple of weeks would prove difficult to manage and coordinate with this amount of tension.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please let me know what you think.<br/>Do you agree that this should have happened?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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